California Gov. Signs Law to Address Muslim, Sikh, South Asian American Bullying

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed new legislation last week aimed at giving students a safer school environment, according to his office.

Bill AB-2845, also known as the "Safe Place to Learn Act," seeks to address bullying of South Asian, Muslim-, and Sikh-American students as well as those mistaken to belong to those groups by providing school staff with school-site and community resources as well as require the superintendent of public instruction to publish anti-bullying resources related to religious and perceived religious affiliation on its website, according to Asian-Americans Advancing Justice — California (AAAJ-CA), one of the organizations behind the law.

The law was sponsored by Assemblymember Das Williams (D-37) and developed in collaboration with The Sikh Coalition, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), AAAJ-CA, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).